Thanksgiving Looks Like This
by AddisonRules
Summary: On the eve of Thanksgiving, Skye has her best day ever, which turns out to be a pretty great day for everyone, especially Phil Coulson and Melinda May. Spoilers for all of AoS and speculation on possible future season 2 happenings.


A little bit of happy because I am grateful to have the AoS fandom to dive into on days when real life gets to be just a little too much. Thanks to all of you for reading and for the stories you write!

Spoilers for all of AoS and speculation on future season 2 happenings.

And still don't own anything... but I really do love them.

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><p>She should've known something was up.<p>

It's not unusual for Tripp to take overnight flights these days if the weather's clear and they're on a fairly easy course. Skye has dubbed those nights "date flights"… because she sits in the cockpit with Tripp, their teasing and flirting growing ever more serious, and May free from piloting usually means she's off somewhere with A.C.

Skye doesn't think about what they do on date flights. Tripp tells her that's normal. A.C. and May are the only real parents Skye has ever… and it turns out, will ever know.

"Sharon and I used to always get grossed out when our parents and grandparents made googly eyes at each other. It's your job as a kid to be grossed out by your parents being in love… even if you also think it's pretty great."

Tripp tells her stories about his family all the time now, and Skye almost feels like she knows them, and on this particular flight he's been hyper focused on stories about his cousin Sharon Carter, who Skye knows works for the CIA and has a thing with Captain America even though no one talks about it beyond saying "Sharon and Steve are busy saving the world together."

Anyway, Skye feels like the focus on Tripp's second favorite family member… (his grandmother will always win that top spot, Skye's realized)… and A.C.'s specific request that Tripp handle the flight to Fiji should have tipped her off that something big was coming. But wow… even if she'd seen something coming, she's not sure she'd have seen this.

The island is just off Fiji to be exact, the landing strip only capable of handling The Bus because of its unique ability to land vertically. There's only one property on the island, though it sprawls across the landscape – a resort that books exclusive vacations for the rich and famous. Skye had been tasked two weeks earlier to trace the ownership of the resort and the island as deep as she could. Every hack and resource she had access to had been engaged, revealing the entire property was owned by a scientist named Dugan Morita who was so opposed to modern life that his entire digital footprint consisted of nothing more than public records. Property purchases, land deeds, sales of his research and invention via the corporations that purchased the brilliant ideas Dugan conjured. He was eccentric, strange, and brilliant, but nothing about him set off any alarm bells.

A.C. had nodded, said thank you, and never mentioned the trace again.

The next Skye heard of the island was just after they'd finished dismantling a HYDRA weapons lab in Spain a few days ago. They had cleanup to finish and Talbot en route to take possession of the confiscated WMDs, and then, May had said, their next flight plan was to the island in Fiji.

"The Bus needs some maintenance and supplies. We know we can stay off the grid there for a few days," she'd said, and Tripp had nodded and taken the coordinates from the senior agent before turning to Skye with a mischievous smile.

"I sure hope you have a bikini handy, girl."

Skye hadn't yet told him she did in fact have one handy… one she liked quite a bit and couldn't wait to show him.

"So what do you think this is all about?" Skye asked as Tripp prepped for landing.

"You look at the calendar lately?"

Skye hadn't, but his question prompted her to pull out her phone and look at the date.

Thanksgiving.

"I've never had a real Thanksgiving," she shared, a buzz of excitement starting to bubble inside. Tripp's infectious laugh did nothing to tamp it down.

"Well, you're about to. I might have given Coulson a shopping list to make sure we have all the ingredients we'll need. Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, mac and cheese, sweet potato pie…"

"Wait. You want me to fit in that bikini, right?"

Tripp laughed and then clicked the intercom to alert the rest of the team to their descent. Thanksgiving dinner with her family… Skye couldn't wait.

Except it was more than that… she knew it in her gut when they got to the resort and the first person to greet them was Melinda May's mother Lian, arms open to welcome Skye into a tight hug.

Mama May… which is what Skye had taken to calling her because Lian hated Mrs. May and no one felt comfortable calling her by her first name… had been with them for nearly a month after the showdown with HYDRA at the alien city because her daughter… well, if anyone had ever doubted why Melinda May had earned the nickname "The Cavalry" in Bahrain, that horrible twenty seven minutes had erased any questions. But May had been badly injured in the end… HYDRA lying crushed at her feet, only to have Ward and Skye's father show up to go on the offensive with one goal… taking Skye.

Skye understood why her father, deluded and half insane as he was, had believed he could win that fight. But what had made Ward think anything would make Melinda May stand down when it came to protecting one of her own…

Ward had survived and escaped, and Skye assumed he was off licking his wounds and trying to regroup, a danger to be faced yet again. Skye had held her father's hand as he died, apologizing for not protecting her and her mother, with her promising him that she would be okay… because the family she had loved her.

The HYDRA file Ward had sent in the fashion of a peace offering had given Skye the full story on her parents. But the pain of the tragedy that had befallen her biological family had taken a backseat temporarily because May had been close to death for days. Coulson had called in a favor, and Maria Hill had flown Mama May to her daughter's side. They had all waited together, stories tumbling out to keep the room from being quiet, to keep May anchored in her life.

The look on A.C.'s face when she finally woke up… Skye knew she'd never forget it. She didn't need all the details about their history and what went on deep inside of each of them to know that he would never have been the same if he'd lost Melinda May. Skye felt like they had that in common. As she'd sat there, worried out of her mind, all she could think about was the list of things May had taught her without Skye realizing it… she had grown up because May had taken the time to show her how… and like A.C., losing that might have been too much for her.

But May was alive, fully recovered, and fresh off kicking a ton of HYDRA ass in Spain. And they were having a family Thanksgiving, a day that, despite the danger of their world, was ripe with things to be grateful for.

But Mama May wasn't the only person waiting for them. Maria Hill was there, too, and so was Nick Fury. Also arriving in short order… Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Sam Wilson, Captain America himself, and Tripp's beloved cousin Sharon Carter.

Family Thanksgiving with the Avengers… minus Thor, who was on his way as soon as he picked up Jane from some research facility in Antarctica.

Skye felt Tripp's hand squeezing hers as Sharon walked towards them.

"You're amazing. They're all gonna love you. So don't freak out."

She wasn't sure not freaking out was an option, but Skye did her best, and every time she got nervous, her eyes somehow found May in the crowd. That small, reassuring smile her S.O. had become so good at offering up kept Skye from getting too overwhelmed.

Tripp at her side didn't hurt either. And it turned out he wasn't exaggerating. Sharon was pretty awesome, and Skye was happy that it seemed she was liked in return.

It was about an hour before sunset when Coulson gathered everyone together and asked them to change - "Cocktail attire would be the order of the day" - and Skye knew her antennae had been right… this was more than just Thanksgiving dinner, which, they'd all learned, was going to be cooked the next day by Tripp, Mama May, and Mack… no one else was allowed in the kitchen.

Koenig's face only confirmed Skye's suspicions as she emerged from her suite in a green dress Jemma had picked out for her during an undercover mission in Rome. The chief administrator of the playground looked like someone had handed him a Christmas present. Koenig's love of organization was baffling, but as he directed Skye and the others out to the sprawling courtyard, complete with waterfall, his excitement was palpable.

Skye tried not to swoon when Thor arrived a few moments later.

Before long, everyone but Coulson, May, Romanoff, Barton, and Fury were outside. Koenig gathered them all together, glasses of champagne in hand, and then waved. A.C. trotted out a moment later, impeccably dressed in a new summer weight suit.

"Thanksgiving isn't a day I thought I'd be celebrating this year. But as you know, I had a secret weapon working for me… an amazing team… a family that never stops fighting. And the leader of that family, despite my title, isn't me… it's my partner. Melinda May always has my back… and she's taught our team how to do that for each other, always."

Fitz and Simmons' smiles were huge, and Mack and Tripp were beaming, and Bobbi and Hunter were, shockingly, getting along beautifully, and Skye felt a little giddy with how good this moment was. The only thing missing was the rest of the family, but before she could ask where May was, Coulson went on.

"You have a year like the one we've had… especially after you've been lucky enough to survive death once… and you realize time runs out. It robs you of the chance to do the things you always meant to do. So I fixed that. And I told Melinda that I love her. And for some insane reason, it turns out she loves me back."

Tripp leaned closer and Skye felt his whisper against her ear.

"I told you he finally did it."

She playfully slapped at his arm and turned back to Coulson.

"Thanksgiving gave us a good reason to gather, and thanks to an elaborate ruse established by the amazing Peggy Carter, we had this place to come to. But I hope you don't mind, before we start fussing over Turkey and pumpkin pie, I… we… would like you to stand with us while we say 'I do'."

Skye felt her jaw drop.

"Did he just say…"

Jemma gripped her arm excitedly.

"He did!"

Koenig had gotten certified somehow to perform the ceremony, and Barton and Romanoff walked down the aisle to assume best person duties for the bride and groom, and then Fury stepped out with May on his arm, and Skye didn't even try to fight the tears that stung at her eyes.

Knowing her birth mother had wanted her and loved her, had given her up to keep her safe… those things had changed Skye's life forever in the best of ways. But the only motherly love she could remember had come from the woman walking toward her in a simple dress of white silk.

Skye could never have imagined she'd see May look so happy… and now all she wanted was to make sure nothing and no one could ever steal that joy away from her.

The vows were simple… beautiful in that way that words weren't really what bound A.C. and May together. And then it was done and they were married, and Stark was cheering and Thor joined in, and the celebration was in full swing.

In less than 24 hours, Skye would be sitting at a table enjoying her first family Thanksgiving. But as she watched A.C. and May dance and felt Tripp's arm around her waist and heard the sound of Bobbi and Jemma laughing at some blunder the boys had made, Skye couldn't imagine any day being better than this one.

This day… this was the thing she was grateful for, and she would remember it forever.


End file.
